OTHER RIVULETS.-REMARKABLE FLOODS. - GEOLOGICAL MINERALS. COAL. LANDS OF GLADS

APPEARANCES.

MUIR.-TOPOGRAPHICAL VIEW OF THE PARISH.

HADDINGTON, the county town of East Lothian, or Haddingtonshire, lies in 55 degrees, 57 minutes, north latitude, and 17 miles east from Edinburgh, on the great post road to London. The name, though apparently of Saxon origin, is of difficult etymology. In a charter of Richard, the Bishop of St. Andrews, who died in 1163, (as we formerly observed in our introductory chapter,) there is a grant" de Ecclesia de Hadintun." This was followed by a confirmation of Earl Henry in the same terms. In a charter of David I. the same place is called Hadintun. By a charter to Dunfermline, a mansion was granted by the same king, "in burgo de Hadingtoun" This was also the Hadina of Camden, and the Hadintona of Fordun and Buchanan, while

the inscription on the common seal of the burgh is "Sigillvm cawsarvin byrgi Hadino." The toun and ton of the ScotoSaxon are obviously the fun of the Anglo-Saxon, which signifies a dwelling-place, village, or town: the latter term being often applied still to farm-steadings in Scotland. From such data the author of Caledonia supposes Hadintun to have derived its name from a Saxon settler, because Halden, the son of Eadulf, was a witness to the Inquisitio Davidis; but, as according to Somner, Hading signifies, in the Anglo-Saxon, ordinatio consecratio," a giving holy orders," it seems evident from this etymon, as well as the ancient religious character of the place, that Hadingtun derived its name from being the Town of Ordination.

The parish of Haddington is six and a half miles in length from east to west, and about the same from south to north, except in the eastern parts, where it is much narrower. Το indulge in a fanciful idea, its shape may be compared to that of a frog, of which the woods of Coalston are the head; the plantations of Letham and Stevenson are the limbs, and the lands at its extremity, between Ballencrieff and Drem, the tail. The parish covers about 22 square miles, or contains about 12,000 Scots acres of land. It was formerly of much greater extent; but in 1674, it having been represented to the commission appointed for the plantation of kirks and valuation of teinds, that while the parish of Haddington was spacious and populous, that of Athelstaneford was inconsiderable, the village of Drem, Drem hills, Muirton, Clackmae, and Garleton, were disunited from Haddington and annexed to Athelstaneford. In 1692 a further spoil was made of the lands of Haddington, when the new parish of Gladsmuir was erected, composed from the former and Tranent. The lands taken from Haddington were the barony of Penston, belonging to Mr. Bailie of Lamington; the barony of Samuelston, belonging to the Earl of Haddington; and the

• In Speed's map of Northumberland, (published in 1610,) there is a place named Haden-bridge. There are Haden-ham in Cambridgeshire, Hadden-hall in Derby, Haddon in Huntingdon, and Haddon in Northampton. Adington, which often appears in the topography of North and South Britain, is the same in substance with the Saxon aspirate (h) prefixed; and there is a place named Hadington in Lincolnshire.-See CHALMERS'S Caledonia. Agreeable to the last hypothesis, by dropping the cockney's aspiration of the h before the vowel, we'might transfer Hadington to the dwelling-place of the Princess Ada, who, in 1139, acquired it as her marriage portion.

village of Trabroun, together with Coates, Laverocklaw, and Merryhatton. The lands annexed to Gladsmuir contained more than 500 inhabitants.

The western part of the parish which is bounded by Gladsmuir, formerly consisted of a large tract of moorish ground which went under that name, and was held by the burgh of Haddington as a commonty. The rulers of the burgh were advised to inclose and plant this district about the beginning of the eighteenth century, which might have yielded a considerable revenue; but instead of complying with this advice, it was feued out in small parcels to favourite citizens, who, in general, were losers by these grants; for, after spending much money in inclosing and liming, the lands for the most part proved sterile and unproductive. On the failure of the original feuars, great part of the commonty was acquired by Mr. Buchan of Letham, who planted about 40 acres with oak, fir, and birch, which in general throve well, and were soon of considerable value.*

• The following extracts from the town-council records, detail the transactions relative to the lands of Gladsmuir.

In 1735, April 15th, it was agreed by the town-council of Haddington, that the lands of Gladsmuir should be measured, for the purpose of being feued or set out.

In 1736, September 18th, the committee reported the obligation and declaration subscribed by the feuars of Gladsmuir, which met with the approval of the council, who ordered it to be recorded.

In 1738, it was decreed by the council, that the marches of Gladsmuir should be inspected by a committee.

In 1740, March 24th. Dr. Lundie was allowed to make drains through the town of Haddington's common in Gladsmuir, for carrying off water from the quarries made by him, with a view to find Limestone in his own grounds.

In 1749, January 21st. Mr. Buchan offered a compliment of young trees to the -town of Haddington for planting.

In 1752, February 5th, it was proposed that such parts of the lands of Gladsmuir, as were not then set, should be remitted to a committee. On the 9th same month, the council unanimously (except one,) resolved to feu out the whole of Gladsmuir, which was not set or fened.

On the 29th June, in consequence of former acts of council, Mr. Buchan of Letham proposed to purchase L.7. sterling, of his several feu and tack duties of Gladsmuir, at thirty years purchase; and to have a clause of redemption of L.1 sterling more, the remainder to be paid as a feu duty, which was ratified; and the magistrates were authorized to grant a feu charter.

In 1752, November 21st, it was agreed by the council that part of the rents and fenduties of Gladsmuir should be sold to pay the Town's debts. Mr. Buchan of Letham lent L.100, at 4 per cent, for this purpose.

In 1753, June 16th, it was ordained by the council that the tacks of the tenants of Gladsmuir should be converted into feu charters. It was also agreed that feu charters should be granted to such of the tenants as applied for them.

On the 9th July Mr. Buchan obtained a charter of 61 acres, formed feued to George Vert, for L.1, 15s. 7d., and of 10 acres formerly set in tack to Thomas Hilstons, for 169. 8d. of feu duties yearly.

The northern part of the parish is bounded by the lands of Gladsmuir, Aberlady, and Athelstaneford. It is chiefly composed of the barony of Byres, which is esteemed one of the finest estates of its extent in the county.

The parish is bounded on the east by Prestonkirk and Morham; and on the south by Yester and Bolton.

THE RIVER.

The Tyne is the only river in the parish, which runs through it from west to east, and nearly divides it into two equal parts. This stream rises in the parish of Crichton, in Mid-Lothian, about 14 miles to the westward of Haddington. After winding its gentle way by the banks of Oxenford castle and Prestonhall, it increases as it flows by Ormiston, Winton castle, and the holmes of Pencaitland, and receives the tributary rivulets of Salton at Spilmersford, and of Coalston below the parks of Lethington. Passing by the haughs of Haddington, the Tyne divides the burgh from the suburb of Nungate, and proceeding through the lawns of Amisfield and Stevenson, washes the ruins of Hailes castle; and, after foaming and boiling o'er Linton linn, falls into the sea below Tynningham-house, the seat of the Earl of Haddington.

Though generally of moderate breadth, averaging ten or twelve yards, and two or three feet in depth, yet being as a trough to a large extent of sloping grounds, particularly the Lammermoor range of hills to the south, the Tyne sometimes suddenly swells to a great height, and, overflowing its banks, does considerable damage to the labours of the husbandman.

We have already alluded to a remarkable flood, on the nativity of the Virgin, in 1358, when villages, houses, and bridges, were swept away. It appears also from our MSS. histories, that upon the festival of St. Ninian, 1421, the waters, by constant rains, swelled to such a height, that there were many houses entirely defaced in the town, and the people went to the church in a great boat. The sacristy, with the church's fine library and ornaments for divine service, were destroyed.*

It appears from the town-council records that, in July 1673, there was another great flood, when the schoolhouse was so

• Spotswood.

much damaged by the inundation, that it was found necessary to provide new seats for the children; or, in the homely language of the times, "for the bairns to sit on." One hundred years previously, on the 24th October, 1572, the town-treasurer was ordered by the council," to lay to the West Weir the great and small stones borne down by the flood, at the Town's expense."

On the 4th October, 1775, a dreadful inundation of the Tyne took place, when it suddenly rose at two o'clock afternoon, seventeen feet perpendicular above the bed of the river. The whole suburb of the Nungate, and more than half of the town, were laid under water, while the mansion house of Clerkington, (which then stood in the valley, below the present site,) and the wooden Chinese bridge, opposite the Woollen Manufactory, were swept away.* According to the town-council record, "the water was level with the third step of the Cross (which stood about the middle of the high-street, and with the threshold of the door of Bailie Moffat's house,† next the Tolbooth, possessed by Robert Roughead." To commemorate this remarkable flood, the council resolved, on the motion of Provost Dudgeon, "that a stone should be put up at the end of John Hume's house, (the low story of which was filled with water,) near the Custom-stone, describing the height of the flood, and the day and year of God thereon," &c. The following is a fac simile of the inscription, which is engraved upon a plate, and inserted in the wall:

On the FOURTH DAY

of OCTOBER,
MDCCLXXV,

The RIVER TYNE,
At three O'Clock

Afternoon

Rose to this PLATE.
QUOD NON NOCTU
DEO GRATIAS

NEMO ENIM PERIIT.

It was conjectured that this inundation proceeded from the bursting of a water-spout to the southward, amongst the ridge of the Lammermoor hills, as the day was not very rainy, and the inhabitants to the northward could scarcely believe what had happened till they saw the effects of the inundation. The main branch of the Tyne, which rises to the westward, in the parish of Crichton, was not much increased. It was chiefly from the rivulet, called Gifford water, that the immense flood poured into * This beautiful bridge for foot passengers was built about 1760. + Now Mr. Matthew's property.